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X-ray irradiation as a valid technique to prolong food shelf life: The case of ricotta cheese
No full textThe sanitising effects of X-rays were studied on ricotta cheese at intensities of 0.5, 2 and 3 kGy, using products manufactured artisanally and industrially. Microbiological, sensory and pH evaluations were performed during refrigerated storage. The artisanal ricotta irradiated at the two highest intensities (2 and 3 kGy) remained acceptable for more than 20 days, whereas the untreated samples became unacceptable after only 3 days of storage. The shelf life of the product irradiated at 0.5 kGy was limited to 14 days, due to the appearance of sensory defects. The industrial product irradiated at all X-rays intensities recorded a significant shelf life prolongation up to 84 days compared with the control, which was rejected after 40 days due to sensory defects. The results show that X-ray treatment can significantly prolong the shelf life of ricotta cheese, boosting the marketability of this fresh dairy product far from the local production sites
Study of X-Ray irradiation applied to fresh dairy cheese
No full textThe potential use of X-ray on Fiordilatte cheese was investigated. To the aim, some Fiordilatte brine packaged samples were subjected to X-ray treatment at 0.5, 2 and 3 kGy. Untreated control samples, as well as treated samples, were then stored at 9 ± 1 °C. The results suggested that irradiated samples show a significant shelf life increase, compared to the untreated samples. The best performances were obtained at 2 and 3 kGy with a shelf life lasting a little more than 40 days, while control samples remained only acceptable for about 10 days. Results highlighted that the evolution of both microbiological and sensory quality in control and irradiated samples was very different, thus justifying the longer shelf life of irradiated samples. Chemical analysis showed the presence of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone only in the treated samples, as it was already demonstrated to rely on the X-ray degradation of lipids. Moreover, the brine analysis of the same treated samples evidenced the presence of 1,3-bis (1,1 dimethylethyl) benzene as packaging degradation product. A more dynamic situation of various compounds appeared in the brine, being some of them increased and some other decreased after the X-ray treatments
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Determination of essential and toxic element in south and central italian honey samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
No full textAccording to the definition set by the European Union Council Directive 2001/110/EC, “honey is the natural sweet substance produced by honey bees, Apis mellifera, from the nectar of plants (blossoms) or from the secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which honey bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in the honey comb to ripen and mature.” Honeybees are continuously exposed to potential pollutants present in widespread foraging areas, and the influence of industrial pollution on bee health has been widely documented (Leita, Muhlbachova,Cesco, Barbattini, & Mondini, 1996). This makes honey a matter of interest in food safety studies, particularly bearing in mind that the majority of consumers are children. Honey is composed mainly from carbohydrates (75%), lesser amounts of water and a great number of minor components. Minor constituents include enzymes, acids, essential and toxic metals and unidentified substances. Regarding metal contents, previous investigations have shown that their presence depend mainly on the botanical origin of honey, light blossom honeys having a lower content than dark honeys, e.g. honeydew, chestnut and heather (Gonzalez-Miret et al. 2005). In order to assure food safety, honey should have a low content of undesirable contaminants (Frazzoli, D'Ilio, & Bocca, 2007). Inductively coupled plasma-based techniques (ICP-AES and ICP-MS) have been applied as multi-elemental techniques for the determination of heavy metals in honey and other sweeteners (Frazzoli, D'Ilio, & Bocca, 2007). These techniques enabled the determination of heavy metals and trace elements in honey owing to their wide range linearity, superior sensitivity and high efficiency.
The aims of this study were the identification and quantification of toxic and essential elements in 70 honey samples collected from 10 different provinces of Central and South Italy. The content level of 24 elements (Hg, Tl, Pb, Cd, Cr, U, Ti, Ba, Sb, Al, As, V, Ge, Sn, Be, Sr, Ca, Fe, Mn, Co, Zn, Cu, Se, Mo) were determined using Microwave Assisted Extraction coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MAE-ICP-MS). Results demonstrated that although samples are not completely contaminant free, heavy metal intake from honey is well below the recommended dose. Furthermore, chemometric methods highlighted differences among honeys depending from their geographical and botanical origins
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Pattern prescrittivi degli psicofarmaci: differenze tra sessi
No full textObjective: Prescription and drug utilization play a central role in many psychiatric interventions. The aim of our study was to investigate the variables involved in the gender differences in psychotropic drug prescriptions.
Methods: The Authors reviewed the more recent literature in order to identify the main factors involved in psychotropic prescriptions in relation to the sex of patients affected by psychiatric disorders.
Results: The females seemed more likely to receive a psychotropic prescription compared to males, presumably because of their social role, a better acceptance of the illness, and higher utilization of services. Great variability in drug prescription was found among psychiatric services.
Conclusions: Physicians should take into account gender differences in prescribing psychotropic drugs for patients, according to evidence-based medicine guidelines
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